I Will Remember You
by my-spoby
Summary: Spencer finally returns home, with a mission to destroy those who once took away her childhood and destroyed her life. Can love help her to forget and forgive, or will she head down the stony path of revenge? Spencer/Toby, Hanna/Toby friendship, AU, rated M for future chapters.
1. Something's triggered when I look at you

_A/N: So I decided I'd give this a try since the idea just wouldn't leave my head. I'm sorry the first chapter is sort of short, I think next chapters will be longer. I apologize for the possible mistakes, English is not my first language but I try my best. I hope you enjoy it, and please if you like it, leave a review :) _

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Everything was just the same as she remembered; except for the house. It was once a majestic, beautiful house with a shade of antiquity. Now it was like a wrecked ship. It survived the years that have gone by, but time had certainly left its mark on it. The main window was broken. The door was in a poor condition. The entire house was an embarrassment to this street; the residents had complained about it; they wanted to tear it down at various occasions, although none of it ever came to realization, simply because the house had its owner and now the owner has returned.

As Spencer Hastings stood in front of what once used to be her house, she knew she would do anything to return to it its former glory, to make of it a home that was always supposed to be.

She closed her eyes, and it almost seemed as if nothing had changed. The wind on her face was the same; the palette of yellow and orange tones around her was indicating the arrival of autumn, as it did so many times before. The chill in the air indicated it wouldn't be so long, before autumn turned to winter. With a swift movement she wiped away a tear. There was no time for that. If she wanted to put her life back together, she'd better start right away.

"So you're really doing this?"

A beautiful blonde nodded joyfully and smiled. "I'm going to be fine, Tobes."

Hanna Marin was a 24 year old, she lived alone in a big house that she used to share with her mother. But Ashley recently got promoted and got a great job in the city, so she decided to move. Her daughter was nothing but supportive at her mother's success, however, Hanna was never one to live alone, so she decided to put a part of the house available for rental. She put an advertisement in the paper, and got an immediate response.

Her best friend, Toby Cavanaugh, was now sitting across from her, watching her with his gorgeous baby blue eyes, which were now mirroring his concern. He insisted on being present when the girl Hanna was renting to, came to check it out. He wanted to make sure it was all safe. And even though Hanna seemed annoyed, she actually loved the fact that he worried about her and looked after her, in a way being a big brother that she always wanted but never had.

No one really understood their friendship. Sometimes the two of them didn't even understand it. He was calm, down to earth, kind and hardworking. She was messy, loud and all over the place. Perhaps it worked because they balanced each other out. Perhaps it was the fact they both valued friendship above all. Perhaps it was something else. Whatever it was, it just worked, because they have been friends since they could remember.

A knock on the door woke Hanna up from daydreaming and she opened it excitedly, with Toby breathing down her neck.

Hanna smiled at the newly arrived guest, he looked at her and his world started to turn upside down. First thing he knew, was he had seen her before. In a dream maybe. Their eyes met and he just knew with absolute certainty that he had stared into those eyes before.

"Hi, I'm Spencer. I believe we talked on the phone?"

Hanna smiled and nodded. "Yes we did. Hi, I'm Hanna and this, is my friend Toby." She stared at him perplexed and poked him to help him regain the possession of his brain.

"Nice to meet you." He murmured softly. He couldn't stop thinking about where he knew her from.

After the initial hello's, they stepped on the porch and sat down at the table.

"So, what brings you here?" Hanna asked her. She liked her immediately. There was something about her that was so incredibly familiar. She hoped that she would stay for a while. Also, Hanna wasn't dumb, even though some people thought she was. She knew that Toby has not looked at any girl, the way he looked at her moments ago. He seemed completely caught up in her.

"I had family here when I was a child. I'm planning on renovating the house."

"Really? What house?" Toby asked with an almost overly inquisitive tone. Hanna looked at him incredulously, seeing as he just regained his voice after being silent.

"The Hastings house. Just down the street."

In that moment it had all come together. It was her. The girl next door. The beautiful human being that marked his childhood. He could remember her pale green dress and the ponytail she always wore. He remembered she could, at the time, climb a tree better than him; that unlike other girls, she wasn't afraid of ruining her pretty dress. A memory of sadness still lingered in his mind. A sadness of a little boy who realized that his best friend suddenly disappeared. Until this day, he never knew why; her whole family was simply gone. All those years she had a special place in his mind and if he loved her as a girl, he now admired her as a grown up woman. She grew up to be gorgeous. _Of course she would._

The auburn hair was now curling up a little, and he also noticed it was shimmering in the sunlight; her eyes were dark brown, almost the shade of the coffee she was now sipping.

"You mean that old thing?" Hanna gasped with surprise. "Can it be fixed?"

"I'm counting on it. It's the only home I ever had." There was a sweet sadness in her words. She closed her eyes for a moment, thinking that the memories always came rushing in when they were the least welcome. She remember the laughter. The children playing in the backyard. The smell of brownies coming from the kitchen. Those things were so clear. Yet she still couldn't remember the rest. What happened, who was involved. She was only sure that she once had a family and it was on this street.

"What about your family?" Hanna asked politely.

"I have none." She replied. That wasn't so true to be honest, but she did tend to say that to avoid unwelcome questions, she didn't even know how to answer.

Hanna offered to show her around and Spencer nodded. She liked the house and she would certainly need a place to stay while she was renovating. She also liked her. The tall blonde seemed to be very outgoing and nice. It was her friend that intrigued her. He somehow seemed familiar, so why couldn't she just remember?

Spencer only remembered waking up in a hospital. Everything was so white. She was alone and she just wanted her mother. They told her, that her parents were gone, that her mom was never coming back. They said she had gone into a shock after acknowledging the news, that when she became aware of herself she couldn't remember anything. They said her brain sealed some of the memories because they were just too hard to live with. Repressed memories, post-traumatic stress. Terms that continued to follow her until that very day. They said that the memories might just come back over the time.

Slowly, she recuperated some of the lost ones. She remembered their old house, the soft touch of her mother's hand, a random face of a boy, she had yet to identify. But there were so many things she still didn't know. For example who was _he_?

She was tired of sitting around, waiting for the memories to come back, so she hoped that coming back to this street, seeing where she grew up, being surrounded by people she used to know, would help her find out what happened to her family, how she ended up in institution after institution. She wished she could repress those memories.

"Hey are you okay?"

His hand had a firm grip on her arm, as if he was supporting her. His eyes were staring into hers, watching her with concern. It was irrelevant to the moment but it occurred to her that he had the bluest eyes she had ever seen. Looking into them was like looking at the sky, or swimming in the ocean, but looking right into his eyes also terrified her to death. It felt like he could see right through her, like those baby blues could penetrate her soul and get to know her darkest secrets.

"I'm okay." She said in a tone perhaps a little bit too harsh.

"You looked pale and you didn't answer. You were like in some sort of a shock." Hanna jumped in apologetic, her eyes reflecting worry too.

"My mind just got carried away." She made a, what she hoped was, a reassuring smile. "It does that sometimes. I'm sorry, what was the question?"

"If you'd be bothered about the shared entrance? I don't cook a lot so kitchen is all yours if you want it. You have your own bathroom with a tub and a shower." Hanna explained.

"Oh that's perfectly fine. I won't be having a lot of visitors anyway." Or none for that matter.

"Oh, no boyfriend?" Hanna asked, a plan already forming in her head. She always had a great sense for matching people together and she honestly thought her friend could use some distraction from the last relationship, since that didn't end up so well.

"None for now." Spencer shook her head. "So, did I pass the test?"

"Yes. Honestly I'm really glad I got to rent it out to someone of my age. You came along on perfect timing. Oh and one more thing, Toby here can help you move in if you need any help, he's the man to go to."

Toby was mentally strangling her. But maybe having a new job wouldn't be so bad, the money would come in handy.

"I'll remember that. Actually I might need some help with renovating the house too. If you think you might be up for it?"

"Sure, give me a call okay? I have to go, but Hanna will give you my number."

"Okay. I'll give you a call."

And like that he was gone.

"Hot isn't he?" Hanna asked pretending it was a random question.

"What?" Spencer asked in confusion. "Oh, I didn't…" Or did she? Could she be a hypocrite and say she didn't notice the stone-hard abs under his shirt, or that she didn't feel the manly power in his hold?

Hanna mused, apparently satisfied with the result of her question. "Whatever you say."

"With nothing more to say, welcome to Rosewood." Hanna said and handed her the keys.

"Thank you."

The street lay ahead of her, just a bunch of houses, one next to another. It was just a town, but she suddenly got a feeling she belonged here. As if the town was waiting for her. She felt, like she was finally home.


	2. Your eyes

CHAPTER 2

A/N: I'm sorry this took so long, but I accidentally forgot to save it and I had to re-write it. I think the second came out even better though. Thank you for the reviews, and please if you like it, do let me know because it's a huge motivation for my muse. I hope you like it and without further ado, here's chapter 2.

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"So..."

Hanna was sitting on the counter of Toby's kitchen, sipping freshly made coffee. "How's the renovating going?" She didn't even try to hide a she was onto something else with that question. She looked at him, searching for some sort of reaction. There had to be something there. She had seen the way he froze when he saw Spencer for the first time, she saw how he looked at her. It made Hanna hopeful. It had been too long since she has noticed Toby looking like that at a girl. It had been too long since she has noticed him looking at a girl at all.

She knew he had been hurt, he had gotten his heart broken and she understood he needed space and time. He needed to mend his heart after Claire had walked all over it, but instead she saw him build a wall, not letting anyone in. Now, Hanna was thinking maybe not everything was lost.

"Renovation is fine." He answered calmly, not giving her the satisfaction. He talked about tearing down walls for a while with a grin on his face, while she was getting more and more frustrated. He could see right through her. There was another question hiding within that one. "Why don't you ask what's really on your mind?" He knew her all too well for her to be playing those kinds of games with him.

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "How can you tell?" She asked curiously. "What gives me away?"

"Not telling you. Now, did you want to ask me something?" His expression turned from amused to a slightly irritated one.

"You like her." It was a statement not a question.

"Where on Earth did you get that idea?" He asked immediately.

"I saw the way you look at her. I may be blonde but I'm not stupid." She looked like she had just won an award. He chuckled and shook his head.

"Well you're wrong. It's just that I used to know her." He confessed. "When we were kids we used to play together. It seems I'm the only one who remembers it." The sadness in his voice was unavoidable. He had thought about it for a while now. No matter what, he couldn't seem to find a reasonable explanation for her pretending not to know him. She did call him, like Hanna suggested and asked for his help with the renovation. He prepared some plans for the house and she seemed to have loved it, but she never showed any signs or remembering their shared childhood moments.

Now Hanna looked confused. "Wait, that doesn't make any sense." Toby just shrugged his shoulders. "Why would she fake not knowing you? It makes no sense at all."

"I wish I knew."

"Well I still think you like her." She teased and winked at him. Toby only shook his head in response.

* * *

Hanna was determined to get to the bottom of it. If there was something this girl was hiding, she was better equipped than anyone else, for sticking her nose up where it didn't belong, so when Spencer got home the next day she was quick to start digging.

They were sitting behind the white kitchen counter, sipping on coffee, which was, as Hanna has learned so far, Spencer's favourite thing on Earth, so she decided it was safe to bribe her with.

"So I hear the renovation is going well. I knew Toby would be just the man for the job. He's helped me around the house so many times before."

"Mmhm." Spencer nodded and took a sip absent-mindedly, while her mind drifted away, Hanna doubted she even heard a word she just said.

"He also mentioned you two know each other from when you were little." Why waste any time when you can just be direct? That has always been her philosophy even though it kept getting her in trouble.

That certainly got her so wanted attention. Spencer's eyes flickered nervously. She knew this moment would come eventually; the moment when she would fail to recognize the people that used to know her as a girl. She just hasn't expected for it to come as soon.

"Oh, yes that's right." Her voice was calm, almost too calm; radiating with complete self-control.

"So you do remember him?" Hanna asked. She was giving her another option to come clean.

"Sure I do." She hoped the lie would sound convincing. "We used to play together as kids." She kept making up along the way. "We lived nearby." At least that's what she deduced when she saw where Toby was living now. "Then we moved away and we didn't keep in touch. I probably didn't remember him right away, because I was so little when we left, but yes I do know him." She smiled.

_That was close. _

Hanna looked confused, at the end she decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. She would get to the bottom of this sooner or later, besides there was a plan forming in her head. She decided to let it go, so she returned the smile and nodded. "I'm sorry I'm so intrusive."

"It's okay. We do live together, so I guess that sort of gives you the right." It occurred to her with what ease she told that lie before. She doesn't like lying or pretending, and now she was here, lying _and _pretending. She felt odd, as if she just lost an important part of herself and it made her want to curl up and cry, but she wasn't here to get emotional; she was here to remember, and then, to make everyone pay.

"So _is_ Toby a good help?" Hanna decided to change the subject back, before she pushed it too far.

"Yes, he's amazing." Spencer blurted out. "I mean, his plans are great. But the renovating is going to take longer than I anticipated."

"Well, no rush. You're welcome here for as long as you wish."

"Thanks, but be careful what you say because it might be a while. A couple of walls were too damaged so we're going to have to tear them down and re-build."

"Well look at it from the bright side. Now at least you get to choose how the space is divided." The girls chatted for a little while longer before Hanna checked the time and realized she was already so late.

"Well I have to get going, I'm sorry, but I need to get some new clothes for the party next week."

"A party? What party?" Spencer asked with surprise, a little bit of shock and maybe even fear. She was never he one to like parties. Nobody said anything about any party.

"Yes, every autumn they throw this huge neighbourhood party. You're invited of course, since you are a part of the neighbourhood, besides everyone is dying to meet you. You've kept to yourself for too long, now they are only more interested in the mysterious new girl." She checked her phone and gasped. "Oh, I'm so late, I really need to get going. I'll see you later!"

And with that she was out of the door and Spencer was left alone in the big house, feeling like she had just weathered a storm, or rather, a hurricane. That's what Hanna Marin seemed to be. She blinked a few times to get a hold on herself. Even though she was terrified of having to go to this party, this might be useful. She was here for a while and she still hasn't met a lot of people, so what better way of making new acquaintances than going to a party? She could even ask a few questions while she's at it.

With Hanna gone, the house sounded all too quiet and empty, almost lonely. She pushed that feeling away quickly. If she's going to accomplish anything, she needs to push away her emotions. She needs to harden her heart. Nobody said that the path she decided to take would be easy.

Her cell-phone rang and hastily she answered it.

"Hi. I know. I'm sorry."

**"Spencer, what on Earth do you think you're doing?"**

"I'm doing what needs to be done. I knew you wouldn't understand, which is exactly why I didn't tell you."

**"Where the hell are you?"**

"That's not something I can reveal yet, but I'm okay. Please don't make this more difficult." Her voice was cracking now.

**"It's just that I worry about you. How can you protect yourself, if you can't even remember who your enemies are?"**

"I'll be fine, if it gets too dangerous I'm coming back. I promise."

**"Just… be careful. I'm not ready to lose you yet."**

"You won't. Take care." With that, she hung up even though there was so much left unsaid. She wanted to hear words of comfort, she wanted to hear that she's not alone, but out here, she was alone. There was no one here, who knew what goals she set for herself.

Tears she so desperately tried to fight, came running down her face, moistening her cheeks. It was a basic human instinct to trust somebody, yet she had no one she could confide in. only person that knew her, knew her darkest secrets, was across the country.

The air suddenly seemed so heavy, it became hard to breathe; and she felt like the walls were closing in. She let herself slide down on the floor, her hands wrapped around herself as if she was trying to keep herself from falling apart, her lungs were demanding air and she was desperately fighting for it. Her body was shaking uncontrollably and the room was beginning to spin as if she were on a carousel.

Toby wanted to talk to Hanna before heading home, those little late night conversations were something that had become quite a tradition over the years. He saw the lights were off, but he had his own key, so he decided to check anyway. He stepped into the hallway and went straight into the kitchen.

"Hanna are you he…" His words got stuck in his mouth by the image of her, the white kitchen counter supporting her back. He only hesitated for a second before he fell down on his knees, his arms reaching for her without thinking, just holding her. His strong arms wrapped around her tiny shaking body and he knew in that moment that he had to help her, and he wanted nothing more. In one silly moment he wished he could be the one to save her.

"Hey shh. You're okay. Just breathe. Take a long breath." His words were like a band-aid to her. "Listen to me. Try to breathe, find something, an anchor. Find something beautiful to focus on."

She heard him, even though his voice seemed distant. Her eyes caught his and in she thought he must have the bluest eyes. They were soothing and there was a bit of worry and desperation in it, but still, it was the colour of the ocean after weathering a storm, the colour of the sky right after rain had washed it. There was something so pure in those eyes, she almost forgot to breathe.

"Your eyes." She managed to get out. He replied with a confused look. "Your eyes are beautiful." Neither of them said anything. They just sat there for a little while longer, the only light being the moon making its way through the kitchen window. Spencer realized she had stopped shaking a while ago and now there was sort of peace inside her, as if she got everything out of her system. "I am sorry you had to see this."

"Hey it's okay. Everyone feels a little overwhelmed now and then. It's not that strange." He said with a smile.

"I don't even know why I panicked." She admitted. "This whole renovation thing is getting to me."

"Well don't even worry about that, I know some great people that can help you. You know what you need?"

Her eyes stared at him in wonder. "What?"

"To have a little fun now and then. Don't get too caught up in work, and forget all the fun you could have."

She smiled genuinely and warmly. "I think you're right."

"I usually am." That got him another smile. "I'll tell you what, you can start at the party. Hanna told you about that, didn't she?"

Spencer nodded. "I'm just not that good at partying." She confessed.

"Well neither am I. Maybe we can try together?" He asked, not pushing it.

"Okay." She gave him another one of her smiles and got up from the floor.

"Okay."

"Goodnight Toby."

He watched her walk away, down the hall. He watched even after she disappeared into her room. Her words echoed in his head.

_"Your eyes are beautiful."_


	3. Maybe We Could Be the Start of Something

**A/N: First of all A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who read and left a review, they really motivate me more than you think. I apologize this update took so long, and the next chapter (which will be longer than this) will be up really soon, I've already written most of it, so I'll have it up soon. **

**Thanks for taking an interest in this story and please keep reading and reviewing - ENJOY! **

**xoxo, Suzana**

**p.s. the stuff in italics are flashbacks ;)**

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She stared at the blank walls that were still left, surrounded by a mess of the torn-down walls. Some of them were just too damaged by time, by neglect, and needed to be replaced. Tearing down only the walls that needed replacing will be much less expensive than demolishing the whole house. Besides Spencer liked the original shape of the house. It was vintage and beautiful. Now they needed to wait for the mess to be cleaned, so they can move forward with the plans. It reminded her of her own life, shattered to pieces, tumbled down, left her waiting for time to build back the memories, to give her back what has been taken.

_The place was the same, only that it was not a grown up woman standing there. It was a little girl, of approximately 7 years. _

"_But please mom. Please. Everyone else is going." She asks tears flooding her cheeks as she stares at her mother with her mocha eyes. _

"_Who is everyone?" Her mother asks._

"_Everyone." Spencer pouts. _

"_Fine. You can go to Aria's party." Her mother agrees, with a smile that then seemed genuine, but now seems empty and void of any emotion. Her mother's look was distant, as if she didn't really see her daughter. But the girl did not notice that. Why would she, she was way too excited to notice anything, so she walked away with a smile, knowing she could go to the promised party. _

"Spencer?"

She opened her eyes and blinked with confusion, noticing several people around her, staring at her with concern.

"Oh I'm fine. Daydreaming." She faked a smile and they bought it, because that's what most people do. Nobody noticed a silent tear, replaced with a victorious smile she allowed herself. She remembered. It was only a small, tiny little piece, but that was the first real flashback she's had since the accident. She saw her mother's face, even though the emptiness of her eyes and voice made her doubt the memories of a happy childhood she thought she had.

She turned around and saw Toby eyeing her. He, in contrast to everyone else, did not seem to buy her excuse. He did not say anything and she hoped he would let it go.

"You know how we discussed putting some new walls in?" She asked suddenly, an idea forming in her head. Just because she wanted to keep her old home, didn't mean she couldn't rearrange it to her liking. She waited until he nodded and went on. "Do you think it would be possible to just leave it like this?" She understood the statement was vague and was about to elaborate but he smiled in return, nodding again.

"Yes, I think it's a great idea, it would really open up the space." He always loved big, open spaces. "The walls would just make it…" he paused searching for the correct word.

Tiny. They would make her feel trapped inside the house and that was the last thing she wanted. "Tight." She finished, finding the right word and their eyes met for a split second. She was surprised that he understood so well, but nonetheless happy that he could see her vision. He has proved to be very good with plans and with the actual work. Her eyes stopped on his hands. With those long fingers he could easily pass for a pianist, however his hands were rough, with not few blisters on them, proving that he was a man who wasn't afraid of hard work. She couldn't help but to remember how gentle they were against their skin when he held her that time in the kitchen. She couldn't believe that those hands can hold something with such delicacy, such tenderness.

However, she could not let herself give in to that kind of thinking. Not when she had no past to begin with, and her future was a misty and cloudy subject. She couldn't let herself get distracted. Love was a privilege for those whose life hasn't been ruined by soulless people. Love was a privilege she'd first have to earn.

"Can I ask you something?" Toby said, breaking her flow of thoughts.

"Of course." She said, actually happy he interrupted her.

"How can you even afford all of this? This renovation will cost a fortune."

"It's a long story to be honest." It sure was, and it had a lot to do with the fact that she learned her family's money has been taken. Actually not just taken, it evaporated. She knew her family was rich once, one of the richest around here, but the money vanished into thin air, leaving no trace behind. She was left with nothing. "Let's just say I had something like a very rich uncle, he was my benefiter." She smiled. Indeed, Robert was something like a mixture of an uncle and grandfather to her. He had no family, or so he claimed. While staying with him, she had learned he had a family, but they only wanted him for his money, and the old man was smarter than that. Spencer knew he would have given it all up, for a loving family, but they never showed love. He almost never thought about it, but she knew he missed having a family, someone to come visit him and shorten his long and lonely days.

It was a weird coincidence, to have found each other, both without families - they clicked together. They became each other's family without even realizing it. Spencer only knew how much she truly loved him when he passed away a couple of years ago. She also learned then that almost the entirety of his fortune has been left in her care, with an exception of a couple of millions he left to the only other person he ever let in, in the house and in his heart. Caleb Rivers knew him long before she ever did. Since the first time she met him he was her best friend with a heart of gold. He understood her wish to avenge her family, but he was also very worried about her. Leaving him behind when she left to seek revenge was extremely hard on her, yet just another thing she would have to endure on her path. She knew she had no choice. She had to learn what happened to her parents, who was the person that tore up her family, left her without money, without family and even without memories.

"Was?" He asked.

"He passed away a couple of years ago." She replied.

"I am sorry." Toby said. He knew that the words were cliché; that they meant little to anyone who has lost someone they truly cared for, but he needed to say something. He really meant it and judging by the look in her eyes she knew it. "I'm also sorry about your family."

She froze. _Her family. _

"Thank you. Can we talk about something else?" Spencer had no idea why she said that, but at the very moment she knew she currently couldn't talk about it.

"Of course. Are you looking forward to the party?" He grinned when he saw her grimace. "Oh come on, it's just a party." He watched her look at him with those big eyes. Her long hair was up in a bun today and he could easily imagine her as a ballerina, especially with the long limbs and the grace that seemed to accompany her every move. He wanted to reach for her and take the pins out of her hair, letting it fall down. He wanted to see the curls get messed up by the wind, just like it used to get messed up when they played together. He remembered her mother used to braid her hair all the time and she hated it, so whenever she was away from the house she'd take the neat braids off and let her hair fall loose.

"That's easy for you to say." She said angrily, but she didn't really feel angry. Just anxious, and maybe even a little excited. "I'm sorry, I just… I don't exactly have a lot of experience with parties." She chuckled lightly.

"Don't worry, I'll hold your hand." He said, grinning.

"_But I'm scared!"_

_She stood underneath the big old tree. The boy had already climbed up and was now waiting for her to follow. _

"_Come on Spence, it's really easy, I promise." The boy said with a huge smile to encourage her. He climbed down a few branches in order to be able to reach her. "Come on, I'll hold your hand." _

_She was really afraid of heights but she didn't want for him to think of her as a coward or worse, a girly girl. She took his hand and climbed up with his help. That was the first time she had ever climbed a tree and the last time she ever needed help. She soon became better at climbing than Toby himself ever was. But the look in his eyes when she joined him and they sat on the branch, eating cookies Toby had stolen from his mother's kitchen, was something she never wanted to forget. It was admiration and there was no trace of mockery because she freaked out over climbing a tree. He liked her even more, for the fact she overcame her fear and climbed up anyway. _

"Earth calling Spencer!"

She snapped back into the now and blinked. "Sorry."

"Where were you just now? Cause you weren't here with me." Toby said with a chuckle.

"I was just remembering…" She was doing more than that. A second flashback in a day. Spencer could as well cry of happiness. It meant that the doctors were right, this place was working its magic and she was remembering. Slowly. Bit by bit, piece by piece; but she would eventually be able to put her life together like a big set of puzzles.

"Never mind." She said quickly. She was glad that she remembered him. Ever since she came back, she had a feeling that he had been a very important part of her life when she lived here. It didn't seem fair to have forgotten all about him. He hasn't changed much at all. His brown hair grew in a different shape now, his jaw was more defined and there was still that adorable dimple in his chin. He was taller, obviously and the tight t-shirt he wore today gave away a very clear idea of what it was under there; muscles, a stone-hard six-pack. He sure was a treat for any women's eyes. His eyes, however, remained the same. Equally beautiful and just as blue as she remembered them. The innocence was gone, replaced by shadows that proved that this was a man that had been troubled, had been heartbroken, but he got back up. He always got back up.

"God I'm late. I still need to go get a dress, because apparently that's what you wear to a party." Spencer explained and Toby laughed in reply.

"Oh is that so? A dress huh, who knew? Well don't worry, I can finish up here, we'll probably call it a day soon because everybody's going to the party anyway."

"Okay thanks. I'll see you later then. At the party." She said, smiling.

"Yeah, I'll see you. Good luck on your dress hunting."

She left and the only thing he could think about was how he couldn't wait to see her in that dress, even though he would never admit it.

* * *

**P.s.2: Next chapter will have more action, but I wanted to give Spencer and Toby some bonding time. I hope you liked it!**


	4. We Are Gonna Let It Burn

**A/N:** **Hello lovelies! Thank you thank you for the lovely reviews, it means a lot to me truly, I love you all. I think you're going to like this chapter, this is where things start to get more complicated between our favorite couple. **

**I hope you enjoy this chapter and if you do, REVIEW please, it inspires me to write more and more quickly. **

**xoxo, **

**S**

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When Spencer arrived, the party was already at the full swing. She turned quite a few heads, part of it having to do with her newness to the neighbourhood, part of it with her appearance. As the party was somewhat more elegant, she decided for a simple knee length sheer dress, the upper part of which was made out of lace, which also covered the rest of the dress. She knew well that the dress complimented her sleek body, and the burgundy red colour gave a special glow to her complexion. The simple black pumps made her legs look miles long.

She did not see Hanna or Toby, but as soon as she walked in, a young, good-looking man offered her a drink. She took the glass gladly, making a sip of what appeared to be an extremely strong mimosa.

"I'm Noel Kahn by the way, and I don't believe we've met. I would have remembered such a pretty face," he said with a smug smile on his face. Things were getting a little dull around here and he could use some entertainment.

"_But it has to be somewhere Caleb, money doesn't just disappear, it gets transferred, spent or whatever."_

"_I know, but yours has Spence. The only thing I can tell you is that the last person I could find handling your father's finances was Nathaniel Kahn. Then the trace disappears."_

The name alarmed her, but she quickly gathered her thoughts and gave him the most charming of her smiles. This is probably Kahn's son. Spencer was beginning to think coming to this party wasn't such a bad idea after all.

"I'm Spencer. Nice to meet you," she replied, smoothly pretending his charms are starting to get to her. "Nice party." She added and took a look around. A lot of people was already dancing, the music was high but still, this wasn't just a high school party for people to get drunk at. It was sophisticated and beyond all, it screamed richness and extravagance and wastefulness. These people did not care about spending money, they had more than enough. Spencer couldn't help but to wonder if that's where her family's money ended. But she couldn't mope around at the party; that could get somebody's attention.

"Spencer!"

"Ah, the attention stealer is here." Noel grimaced but it quickly turned into a smile. "Marin, it is nice to know you could make time for our humble little party." He kissed her hand, even though anyone could see he was everything but a perfect gentlemen.

"Noel, always _not_ a pleasure to see you." Hanna said, pulling her hand away. "Who do you think you are? Just because it's your party, or should I say your parents' party, doesn't mean you get to keep Spencer all night," she enlightened him with a smile, staying perfectly polite the whole time, but also managing to sneak in a little insult or two. That was just the way to handle Noel Kahn, and Hanna knew exactly how to do it. "Spence, honey you look amazing. I'm really glad you came, come on I have to introduce you to some nice people so you don't get a wrong impression of this party." She pulled her away from Noel, but that didn't erase the self-satisfied smirk he had on his face. There were already bets going around Rosewood, how long will it take for her to fall and who will it be. Noel liked to believe that the odds were always in his favour.

"What was that all about?" Spencer asked when she was sure they were far enough so that he couldn't hear them.

"I'm just protecting you honey. Noel is the biggest playboy around here, I'm sure he'd like to add you to his collection."

"You sound really sure of that," Spencer noticed, even though she could see what a Casanova Noel Kahn was from a mile away, and she wasn't even that experienced with boys. Well actually she just might have more experience with Casanova's than with nice guys.

"Well I fell for it. I don't want to see you repeat my mistake." Hanna voice lowered now. "I always fall for the wrong kind of boys. Why can't I fall for someone like Toby for at least once? But no, we both fall for the people that end up hurting us," she finished and that sentence alone made Spencer want to know more.

"Like who?"

Hanna pretended she wasn't at all excited that Spencer expressed her interest in who Toby dated and shrugged. "Oh, a lot of people actually. I just really want to meet a nice guy, but apparently Toby is the only one in town."

"Well you two seem pretty close…"

Hanna laughed loudly and attracted the looks of the people around them. "Me and Toby? Naaaah." Even the idea of it was funny. She knew Toby for as long as she could remember and she never thought of him that way, he was always just the boy that took care of her when she was sick, the boy that held her when she cried over a broken heart and the boy that could listen to her endless talking without losing his mind.

She will never forget the moment they became friends; she must've been eight or nine and at the time, she was rather chubby. Kids can be quite mean sometimes and she got teased on without a break. Once they pulled her blouse and ripped it to shreds. Toby found her freezing, crying, and sitting on the floor in a tiny shirt and a skirt. He gave her his sweatshirt so she could go home, and even though Hanna knew he probably got yelled at for losing his sweatshirt, he never said a single word about it. She thanked him by sharing her lunch the next day and they've been inseparable ever since.

"No, really, Toby and I will never happen. We're just friends." Hanna repeated, trying to get the message across.

"What? And I thought what we had was epic love." Toby faked a pout but he didn't do it that well and Hanna almost chocked from laughing.

It was really hard to make that comment for him. It was hard to open his mouth, when all he wanted to do was stare at Spencer. The dress she had chosen was gorgeous, and clung very tight to her body, leaving scarcely anything to imagination. At the end of the day, he was just a man, he saw those things. He saw how slender her body was, how lovely her hair curled now that she wore it down, how her legs seemed to have no end, and how her chest rose up when she saw him. He wanted to rip the dress off her and see if she still maintains so self-controlled.

Spencer swallowed hard. She wasn't blind either. She saw his stare, she saw his eyes practically undressing her right then and there and she couldn't help but wishing it hadn't been just his eyes. She suddenly felt as if the dress she was wearing was see-through, as if the trace his eyes left over her body, have caught on fire.

"Oh I'm sorry my love. Can I ask your forgiveness with a dance?" Hanna pulled him on the dance floor all of the sudden. He was hesitant, but he spun her around and danced with her to an old disco piece and Spencer couldn't help but to think how they looked perfectly synchronised. She understood Hanna though. There were some people you could never imagine being with in a romantic manner. She thought of Caleb and imagined herself with him. Even the thought seemed absurd.

"Why'd you do that? You know perfectly well I am a lousy dancer." Toby said to her on the dance floor. He was annoyed for being taken away the chance to stare at Spencer.

"Well I had to do something to stop you from throwing Spencer on the dining table and taking her, that would be sort of weird and it would likely get people's attention. I was out of options since you wouldn't stop staring at her." Hanna kept her voice casual but hissed a little at the end.

He looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry alright, I didn't realize I was being that obvious."

"I'm sorry too. Look I love the fact that you like her, and don't even try to deny it, but at least get a room or something," she hinted with a naughty grin and her amusement even grew when he shook his head in desperation. The song ended and she was just about to walk away, but instead she turned back to Toby. "Oh and Toby? She wouldn't stop staring at you either," she said with a wink and left, presumably to get herself a drink.

* * *

Meanwhile Spencer tried to find some peace outside where she had been once again hit on by Noel Kahn. He stood behind her, his hand softly moving up the bare skin on her back. She sighed but didn't move. It was interesting how his touch on her bare back left her completely cold, whilst the only thing Toby had to do, was to look at her and she was on fire. "I knew you wouldn't give up," she said. "I know guys like you."

"You may know guys like me, but you don't know me," he answered, placing a light kiss on the back of her neck. His fingers brushed her hair away and continued caressing her skin. Since she didn't object, he took that as a yes and got a little bolder. "How about …" his voice sounded husky, and it gave a way idea that he was a little, if not a lot, drunk. "… We get out of here and I can show you a good time."

She shook her head to answer him, but his hand slid down her body, pulling her closer, until she was leaning on him, his arms around her and his hands resting on her stomach. "Oh but I can give you what you need Spencer. I know exactly what you want and I can give it to you," his words were only a whisper in her ear. "I know why you came back here, you want what's yours. The money. Who can blame you for that?"

"And why exactly would you be willing to give that to me?" She asked, her voice nearly letting her down, partly because of the shock and partly because of his hands were still on her body and it didn't feel half as bad as it should have felt.

"Well let's just say… it is in the interest of my friend. He would like to meet you, he's been looking for you, for a while now." Noel replied, glad to know she wasn't completely immune to his charms.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"No of course you wouldn't, would you? You don't know this friend of mine, but trust me when I say, he cares for your benefit and if I would harm a single hair on your head he would probably kill me."

"Who is he?" She asked curiously, turning around. He, however, didn't move, so she ended up in the cage of his arms. She expected to feel fear, but instead she felt oddly reassured by his words.

"Wait and see. Anyway if you're ever interested…" His smile was smug again and he looked even drunker than before. He touched her cheek in a gentle, yet creepy way. After that he walked away. She sighed with relief and leaned onto the fence. She learned a lot today, for one, Noel's family definitely had something to do with the disappearance of her family's money, and he knew what too, secondly, there was another person involved in all of this, someone who Noel Kahn was afraid of, and last of all, he wanted her, she had been close enough to him so she could tell that with absolute certainty. So maybe she should use that to her advantage. But there was one thing Noel didn't know. She wasn't here for the money, in fact she couldn't care less about the money; she had plenty of it. She was here purely for the closure she needed to move on with her life.

Another body peeled from the shadows of the porch lightened by hundreds of little lights.

"Hey."

"Toby." Spencer felt startled at first, but looking into his eyes, she felt her body relax.

"Sorry if I interrupted anything," he said in a calm voice, perhaps slightly cold. She could tell that he saw the whole thing. There was a silent accusation in his voice and in his eyes too. He seemed so disappointed, even sad.

"Oh, not at all. I know how to handle guys like Noel. I was just letting him know I'm not interested," she replied, emphasising the _not interested _part.

"You seemed pretty interested to me."

Those words were like a cold shower to her, she shivered in the chilly autumn night air, her eyes dropped to the floor. She felt like she had been slapped. "You know what, whatever. I think I'm going to go now." Her voice sounded angry and tired and if he could tell right, he saw a tear.

He could punch himself in the face. Why did he have to act so possessive? But when he saw her, _his _hands on her body, right where he wanted his own, he felt so angry and let down. He knew he had no reason at all, but he never thought she would be like that.

She was walking away from him now and before he could even think it through, he grabbed her arm. He paused for a second, holding her wrist with a grip a little tight, but she never protested. It was as if he could feel her wild pulse, and he pulled her back to him, his lips found hers and his mouth crashed against hers in an attack full of passion that has been building up ever since the party started. Her body reacted instantly as she responded to the kiss, arching herself against him, her hands going around his neck, pulling him closer.

He pushed her against the pillar of the porch and she moaned in pleasure as his hands took possession of her body. If Noel's early touches left her cold, Toby's sent her to heaven and back. Her head tilted back to give him more access and his mouth made its way down to her neck, while his hands were pulling her dress up, caressing her skin everywhere he could reach. She knew they had to stop, before it would be too late. She broke the kiss, gasping for air, her heart was pounding hard and she could feel his against her skin, and it was just as wild.

Toby looked into her eyes now, wanting to plead forgiveness, to say he's sorry, but he couldn't, because he wasn't sorry. He could see in her gaze, she didn't want to hear those words.

She regained breath and hopefully balance. "Now that is me being interested," she said and walked away, hoping he wouldn't see how soft her knees were, how her whole body was still shaking or how hard it was for her to walk away.


End file.
